Plate-locking mechanism for printing presses



June 19, 1928. 1,674,426-

w. DURRANT PLATE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Jan. 27; 1927 2 SheetsvSheet 1.

=E1c=.1 I I7 is I2 25 lNVENTOR June 19, 1928'. 1,674,426}- w. DURRANT PLATE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Jan. 27, 1927 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 ,9 5? mvENToR Z8 wllham Durranf ATTORNEY Fatented dune I FFFMZE.

WILLIAM DURRANT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PLATE-LOCKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

Application filed January 27, 1927. Serial No. 134,027;

Mv invention relates to 1 plate locking mechanism for printing presses and has .t'or an object to provide an improved means for locking printing plates to a plate support.

My invention is particularly appllcable .to the securing of curved stereotype plates on the cylinders of web presses, such plates are usually formed at each end with beveled edges which are engaged byclamping mugs and clips carried by the cylinder. The plates are arranged in opposed pairs of semicylindrical form, and cylinders that are designed to carry four palrs of semi-cylindrical stereotype, plates are usually provided with a central fixed clamping ring adapted to engage the'inner ends of the two inner pairs of plates while sliding clamplng rings are provided at the ends of the cyllnder to clamp the outer ends of the two pa1rs of outer plates. The clamping rings are usually arranged in opposed pairs of semiannular :torm. To engage and clampthe adjacent ends of the inner and outer plates, clips are provided which slide in undercut slots formed in the face of the cylinder. The plates are locked in place by adjusting the outer sliding rings inwardly so that the outer pair of plates bear against the clips and the latter in turn press the inner plates against the fixed clamping ring. It is often desirable to omit one or both of the outer pairs of plates and the inner plates are then clamped in place by means of rods which lit between the intermediate clips and the outer sliding rings. Adjustment of the outer sliding rings is commonly effected by operating an adjusting screw tov feed the ring inward. It takes many turns of the screw to cause a complete lock up of the plates and this is not only a time consuming operationbut there is no means of indicating when the ring has been moved far enough to properly clamp the plates. I I

It is on object of my invention to provide an improved means for adjusting the sliding ring to lock up the'plates, which is operable quickly and with minimum effort on the part oi the pressinan.

vide safety devices which shall insure-the pr-tiper lock up ofthe plates.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a locking mechanism which Iwill allow for slight variations in the length of the plates.

A still further object of my invention is to hereinafter semi annular sliding and is formed with an undercut hp which other object ofmy invention is to proprovide means foradapting my locking ole- I vice for plates-that vary considerably in length, thus, for instance, permitting'the same locking device to be used for a seven column plate asfor an eight column plate.

With these and other objectsin view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations and ar-f rangements of parts, which will be'more fully described and pointed out in the claims;

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a portion of a printing press cylinder with my'improved locking device applied thereto and showing the device in locked POSltlOIl;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with certain parts removed and a portion broken away to reveal certain details;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but show-' ing the locking device in unlocked-position;

4 is an end view of a portion of a printing press cylinder showing my improved locking device applied thereto, a

part of thedevice being broken away along the line 4: I of Fig. 2;

I Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a printing press cylinder with a plate in place and showing my locking device attached to the cylinder; i 1

Fig. .6- is-a view in section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; v

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View in longitudinal section of a detail of my invention, the section being taken on the line 7 7' of Fig. 8; i

Fig. 8 is a plan view partly broken away of the detail'shown in Fig. 7; and V Fig. 9 is a bottom end view of a socket wrench used to operate my locking device.

In the drawings I have used there-terence numeral 10 to indicate-a printing press cylinder, and the numeral 11 to indicate a stereotype plate carried by the press. A ring is shownat 12 overlaps the beveled outer edge of the plate. The cylinder 10 is formed with a seriesof undercut slots 18 -'in which clips (not shown) tor-clan'iping the opposite edges of r the plate are-adapted: to slide, these clips being engaged by longitudinal rods 14. The outer ends of the rods are secured in lugs 15 which slide in the grooves The lugs 15 are attached to or formed integrally with 1 adapted to slide, the cylinder is undercut to provide a chamber 18 in which part of my locking mechanism is contained. It will be 'understod that each ring is separately adsecured by means of bolts 34 and the ho'usin cylinder.

justed and that the mechanism for adjusting and locking the ring is duplicated for each ring. 1

' My locking mechanism includes three ec centrically mounted gears 19, 20 and 21.

The inner gear 21 is journaled in a plate 22 which is bolted to the cylinder in a groove 26 at the' bottom of the chamber 18. Projecting eccentrically from opposite faces of the intermediateigear 20 is a pair of studs 23 and 24. Theupper stud 23 is journaled in the centra-l'lug 15 while the, lower stud 24 is journaledi in-a block 25 which ar ranged to slide in the groove 26. The outer gear 19 is journaled in a housing secured to the end face of the cylinder. The housing is formed of upper and lower halves 27 and 23 respectively which combine to form a Cl12t111- ber- 29-to receive the gear 19. The'gear 19 is formed with oppositely projectin and eccentricallydisposed studs 30 and 31 which are journaled respectively in the housing members 27 and 28. The upper end of the studs 30 is formed with'a projecting angular shank 32.to engage a socket wrench 33. The members 23 and 29 are fitted together and is'secured to the end of the cylinder 10 by means of four bolts 35, two of each halt of the housing, which pass through openings in the housing and are firmly screwed into the Each bolt 35 carrier a compression spring 36 which at the inner end bears against the housing and at the other or outer end, against a shoulder 37 formed on the bolt 35. Thus a yielding connection is provided between the housing and the cylinder,

the purpose of which will be explained presently.

By referring to Figures 2 and 3 it will be observed thatthe gears 21 and 19 are mutilated,'being formed with teeth on a little more than half of their respective peripheries. It will also be observed that the gears are so set that when the device is in unlocked position, the gears 19 and 20. engage at their shortest radii, as shown in Fig. 3, and the gears 20 and 21 at their longest radii. It will now be evident that if the gear 19 is turned in the direction of the arrow, the intermeshing gears will cause the axis of the gear 20 to travel inward until it reaches the position shown inFig. 2, when the gears 20 and 19 will engage at their'longest radii and I provide a locking pin 38 in the face of the gear 19 and provide the pin with a spring 39 which normally presses the'pin upward. The upper face of the pin roundedand is adapted to slide against the upper face of the housing member 27 and enter an opening 40 therein. The position of this opening is such that the gear 19 must be turned to the complete locking position,.shown in Fig. 2, before the pin 38 will snap into the opening. To. depress the pin 38 when it is desired to unlock the mechanism, I provide a pin 41 formed at its lower end with a head in the opening 40 and at its upper end with a rounded 'head which projects slightly above the face of the housing member 2'5.

A spring 43 serves normally to hold the pin 1 41 in raised pOsitiOll. 'VVhen desired, however, the pin 41 may be depressed to force the pin 38 out of the opening 40 and permit the gear 19 to be turned to the unlocked position.

To automatically depress the pin 41,1'provide the socketwrench 33 with a pair or lateral projections or lugs 44. Adjacent the projecting shank 32 of the gear 19, I provide a guide member 45. her is of arcuate form and has a flange 46 which overhangs the path of the lugs 44 on the socket wrench Thus when the wrench is applied to the shank 32, one or other of the lugs 44'will first engage the head 42 of the pin 41, forcing the latter pin downward, and if the locking pin 38 is engaging the recess 40, it'will be forced out of engagement therewith, permitting the gear to turn. As the wrench 33 is turned to operate the gear 19, one of the lugs 44 will pass under the flange 46 and'hold the wrench in engagement with the shank 32 until the gear 19 has moved through an angle 0'13 degrees, and only after such movement has been completed, will it be possible to withdraw the wrench from engagement with the shank32. The importance of this is particularly marked when the deviceis being moved into locked position, for it will be impossible to leave the parts in a partly locked position, by reason of the .enga ement of the lug 44 with the flange 46. anly after the parts have been moved. to complete locking position and the opening 40, will it be possible to withdraw the socket wrench and as the wrench is re- This guide me1npin 38 has been moved into registry withthe moved the gear 19 will be locked by engage not practical to attach the housing in fixed relation to the end of the cylinder, for in the case of a slightly oversized plate it'would be necessary to crush the plate before the parts could be moved to locked position, It is to avoid such damage to plates that I provide a resilient engagement between the housing and the cylinder, this engagement bein' effected through the springs 36, which are made powerful enough to hold the plates against any possibility of yielding'during the run of the press, and at the same time, are not so powerful as to crush the plate.

A moinents consideration of the eccentric gear mechanisnrwill show that they virtually provide a progressive toggle mechanism, each tooth of the intermeshing gears constituting a toggle arm, so that as the gear 19 is turned, a powerful leverage is provided for moving the ring 12 into locked position.-

In the latter position there is no tendency "for the gears to turn because the point of contact of the driving and driven gears is alined with the centers on which the gears turn, and no great strain is imposed on the locking pin 88. Furthermore, by providing mutilated gears for the driver 19 and idler 21, there is no danger of turningthe mechanism materially past the locked and unlocked posi tions. The speed of operation is greatly increased over the locking devices heretofore in common use, because it is merely necessary to turn the socket Wrench through an angle of fiSO'degrees tov insure a complete and safe lock-up of the plates. The gear 21 performs no function during the locking of the device,"eXcept to hold the other gears in mesh,-

but when the device is unlocked, it serves to force the intermediate gear 20 outward, and thus cause positive release or the stereotype plates. times'the edges of the plates are so tightly jammed into the undercut lips o'f the holding rings, that the latter will not release from the plates. By means of the positive action provided by the gear 21', T insure. the re-- lease of the ring 12 from the plate 11.

isocc'asionally it is' necessary to use shorter plates on the cylinder, have provided a simple means of extending the (zen tral lug 15, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The outer end of the central lug 15 is" formed with a dovetailed groove 47 adapted to be en-- gaged by a dovetailed tenon 1 8 forn'ied on the end of a block 49. The block 49 has the same cross section as the lug 15, an d thus virtu ally forms an extension of said lug. The under face of the block 4-9 is formed with a bore 50, to receive the stud 23 of the intermediate gear 20. Thus whena narrow plate is applied to the cylinder, the block 459' is attached to the ring, the ring 12 is moved 'inward into engagement with the plate and the gear 23 is jOlITIIalBCldH the extensionegrather than in the lug 15'. The length of the block This is of-imp'ortance, because son'ie- 49 maybe varied to suit the particular size of-plate applied to the cylinder. g

I have described my inifention as applied to a web press, but it willfbe evident that my locking mechanism could als ohe applied to flat bed presses and other forms of presses and the particular embodiment illustrated and described above is not to be construed as a limitation of my invention.

Having thus described my invention and with the understanding. that I am at liberty to make such changes, alterations and tart ations in the construction'and arran ement of the parts as fall withhrthe spintaad scope of my invention, I claim 1. In a' locking mechanism of thechar'acter described, a bearing member, a movable clamping member, a pair 'of intermeshing gears, one of said gears being eccentric, one of the gears being journaled in the clamping member and the other in said bearing member, and means foif turning the gears to effect movement of the clamping member relatively to the bearing member. 7

2. In a locking mechanism of the character described, a bearing member,a slidal ile lhil eccentric'gear's, one of the gears being jour naled in the clamping member and the other 1n.'sa1d bearing membeig neans for turning the latter gear to effect sliding movement of the clamping member relatively to theb'earing member, and mean for holding said gears in mesh. V I I 4. In a locking mechanism of the character described, a bearing member, "a 'slidable clamping member, a pair of inte'rmeshing eccentric gears, one of the gears being journaled in the clamping member and the other =in' said bearing'inemb'er, 'means for turning the latter gear to effect sliding movement of the clamping member'rel'atively{to the bearing member, means for holding said gears in mesh, and a springserving to hold the bearing member'in yielding engagement with the support.

5. In. combination, a printing press cylinder, a clamping ring sli'dab'le thereon, a bearing member mounted on the cylinder, a driving gear journaled insaidn'iembe'r, a

driven gear journaled in the ring, one of said gears bein eccentric, andan eccentric idler gear Journaled to the cylinder and servmg to hold the driven gear in mesh with a the driving gear.

6'. In combination, a rihting ress; cyll in journaled in the ring, and an eccentric idler ,gear journaled in the cylinderand serving to hold thedriven gear in mesh with the driving gear. j

8. In combination, a printing press cylinder, a clamping ring slidable thereon, a

bearing member, a spring serving to hold the bearing member inengagement with the cylinder, an eccentric driving gear ournaled in said member, an eccentric driven gear journaled in the ring, and an eccentric idler gear journaled in the cylinder and serving to hold the driven gear in mesh with the driving gear.

9. In combination, a printing press cylinder, a clamping ring slidable thereon, a bearing member, a spring serving to hold the bearing in engagement with the cylinder, an eccentric driving gear journaled in said member, an eccentric driven gear journaled in said ring, an eccentric idler gear journaled in the cylinder and serving to hold the driven gear in mesh with the drivinggear, and means for locking. the driving gear in predetermined position.

10. In combination, a printing press cylinder, a clamping ring slidable thereon, a bearing member, a spring serving to hold the bearing member in engagement with thecylinder, an eccentric driving gear journaled in said member, an: eccentric driven gear journaled in said ring, an eccentric idler gear journaled in the cylinder andserving to hold the driven gear in mesh with the driving gear, a springpressedpin, carried bythe driving gear, the bearing member be ing formed. with an opening to receive the pin when the driving gear is in a predetermined position, and means for disengaging the pin from the opening.

11. In locking mechanism of the-character described, a housing member, a driving gear journaled therein, the gear being formed with an angular shank, a socket wrench adapted to engage the shank and turn the gear, and means for holding the wrench in engagement with the shank while the gear is being turned through a predetermined angle. 1 12. In a locking mechanism of the character described, a housing member, a driving gear journaled therein, the. gear being formed with an angular shank, a socket newness wrench adapted to engage the shank and turn the gear, the wrench being formed with a lug, and a flange carriedby the housing member and under which the lug must pass as the wrench is being turned through a pre determined angle. j i

' 18. In a locking mechanismof the charac-.

ter described, a housing member,a driving gear journaled therein, the gear being formed with an angular shank, a socket wrench adapted to engage the shank and turn the gear, locking means carried by the gear for locking the gear in predetermined position, and means carried by the wrench for unlocking said locking means;

1 1. In a locking mechanism of the character described, a housing member, a driving gear journaled therein, the gear being formed with an angular shank, a socket wrench adapted to engage the shank and turntlie gear, a spring-pressed locking pin carried by the driving gear," the housing member being formed with an opening which the pin engages when the gear is in predetermined position, and a spring-pressed unlocking. pin projecting from the housing adjacent said shank and extending into the opening, whereby the unlocking pin will be engaged by the wrench when the latter is applied to the shank and will depress the locking pin out, of engagement with the opening.

15. In a locking mechanism of the charac-- ter described a housing member, adriving gear ournaled thereln, the gear being formed with an angular shank projecting from the housing member, a socket wrench adapted to engage the shank and turn the gear, the wrench being formed with a latterally projecting lug, a spring-pressed locking pincarried by the driving gear, the housing member being formed with an opening which the pin engages when the gear is in a predetermined position, a spring-pressed unlocking pin projecting from the housing adjacent said shank and extending into the opening, whereby the unlocking pin will be engaged by the lug when the wrench is applied to the shank and will depress the looking pin out of engagement with the opening, and a flange carried by the housing member and under which the lug must pass as the wrench is being turned through a predetermined angle.

16. In combination with a printing press cylinder having a slot therein, a clamping ring, a lug carried by the clamping ring and slidable in the slot, a bearing member secured tothe cylinder, an eccentric driving gear journaled in said bearing member, an eccentric driven gear engaging the driving gear, the lug beingformed with a bearing in which the eccentric driven gear may be j ournaled, and an extension member removably secured to the ring and also formed with a bearing in which the eccentric driven gear may be journaled.

17. In combination with a printing press cylinder having a slot therein, a clamping ring, a lug carried by the ring and engaging the slot, a bearing member secured to the cylinder, an eccentric driving gear journaled in said bearing member, an eccentric driven gear meshing with the driving gear, said lug being formed with a bearing in which the eccentric driven gear may be journaled, said lug being also formed with a mortise groove at one end thereof, and an extension block formed with a tendon adapted to engage the groove, said block being also formed with a bearing in which the eccentric driven gear WILLIAM DURRANT. 

